Jersey City student is arrested for carrying gun to school

David Jolkovski/The Jersey JournalTeen at CREATE Charter School in Jersey City was arrested with a loaded .32-caliber gun today. Above, school founder Steve Lipski speaks at last night's rally to keep school open.

A 16-year-old student at CREATE Charter School in Jersey City was arrested at the school today at around noon with a loaded .32-caliber handgun and a large fight broke out afterward in the school cafeteria that resulted in the arrest of an 18-year-old, officials said.

The arrest and fight comes the morning after the school held a rally with hundreds of students and parents to fight the state's order to close the school on June 30. In a March 1 letter, Acting Education Commissioner Bret Schundler notified the school it was being put out of business for several reasons, including poor reporting on school violence.

Steve Lipski, the founder and chief administrator at the school, said this afternoon that the 16-year-old boy with the loaded weapon was arrested in the school cafeteria.

The boy passed through a metal detector this morning, but the machine didn't sound off, Lipski said.

David Jolkovski/The Jersey JournalStudents and parents at CREATE Charter School in Jersey City hold rally last night to keep school openIt came to the attention of security guards at the school that the boy was carrying the weapon. The guards notified Jersey City police who arrived in "seconds" and the boy was arrested, Lipski said.

But after the boy was arrested, an 18-year--old attacked one of the security guards and a large fight broke out in cafeteria, said Jersey City police spokesman Stan H. Eason. The 18-year-old, whose name was not immediately available, was arrested, Eason said.

Lipski described the 16-year-old as a "quiet kid" and "average student."

"Everybody was stunned," he said. "He's got detentions, but mostly for being late and out of uniform. He's never been in a fight."

"There is an ongoing investigation to find out what really happened," he added.

Staff held a meeting with students and Lipski said regular classes would resume tomorrow.